| Interview with E. M. Alexander |
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?
I've always dabbled with writing, but I have to give credit to my 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Dempsey, for really
putting the idea in my head. She told us that we were all writers and then she made it so by having us write
poems and stories all year. She even "published" them in a mimeographed and stapled "book" which, I am
proud to say, I still have.
Still, I was afraid to call myself a writer, even after I started writing for a local paper, even after I signed my
first contract. Saying it out loud seemed so risky. Then I got a phone call from the Society of Children's
Book Writer's and Illustrators saying that I'd won 2nd place for the Barbara Karlin Grant and a month after
that I place 2nd and 3rd in the Smartwriter's W.I.N. competition. That night, when I put my son to bed, I
whispered to him: "I think I might be a writer." He smiled, hugged me tight and said: "You are a writer."
That's when I really knew it was true.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
Here's where I point out how awesome it was to spend so long achieving my undergraduate degree. I
learned at my leisure, really and that is the sort of thing that gets you in the mindset of being a lifelong
learner. I wrote Death at Deacon Pond in the advanced writing course offered by the Institute of Children's
Literature, studying under Kevin McColley, who really pushed me to think about the market early on. I
submitted for about a year when Lobster Press made an offer. Ironically, I had just been accepted into
Vermont College's MFA program and I had to postpone my graduate studies to begin editing the
manuscript, but the hands-on experience was valuable.
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?
Death at Deacon Pond is the story about a girl who desperately wishes to be "a normal girl" but, of course,
is anything but. Maybe I've watched too much "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" but I'm a sucker for a character
who has been bestowed superpowers, but doesn't feel special at all.
Do I still have to convince you to buy the book? Seriously, though, if you're looking for a fast-paced book
where nothing and nobody are exactly what they seem--Death at Deacon Pond is for you.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
Death at Deacon Pond was definitely inspired by my early introduction to horror stories and, perhaps, by
spending way too much time in the woods. I've spent loads of time dwelling on what I've come to think on
as "the creep factor." You know, those moments in books or movies where the character--against all
logical reason--decides to put themselves in harm's way? It's that moment before the scare, that's what I
strive for, because that's the feeling from a scary story that stays with you, long after you've left it.
Let's hear about your family, who I'm sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
Without a doubt, my family and friends were thrilled for me. Truthfully, I think they had more confidence
that I'd get published than I did! I think my son, Ethan, is the most thrilled, though this is largely because
his name appears on the back cover. But he's my fiercest fan. He'll brook no negative comments about my
work!
Now for some fun facts. What's your greatest comfort food?
This is a tough one, because I love to eat! There are the obvious things--chocolate, chips,
cheesecake--but picking just one is too hard, because I'm as much a sucker for yummy spring rolls and
white pizza as I am for popcorn or pie.
No, no, no. Better that I go down on record saying that my favorite comfort food is one that isn't prepared
by my hands, but rather by someone who loves me, if not enough to cook, at least enough to buy me a
meal.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Get coffee. Drag my son out of bed and off to school. Check email. I'm so not a morning person. Neither is
my son, obviously.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what's the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
Besides clutter? Hmmm. Well, I'm loathed to admit it, but I'm fairly certain that my closet contains a number
of fashion felonies that would drive any of the reporters from E! News completely mad...Now, where did I
put my royal blue leg warmers? Kidding! I got rid of those last year.
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?
Though I'm tempted to say black, I think I'll say "gray" because I was once told by a former boss that if
opinions are black and white, I'm the cushion in-between--the "gray" middle ground that sees the pros and
cons of both sides. Gray is flexible, changeable and I think that's me. Besides, who wants to be
predictable?
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I am ashamed to admit it, but I'm beginning to be sucked into the satirical world of South Park. A guilty
pleasure to be sure. It is both a clever and crude parody of American life.
Good Grief! I'm like Charlie Brown. You know the score: gullible, trusting and always willing to take my shot
kicking the football? For what it's worth, my sister refers to me as "Lucy" because she spends a lot of time
calling me for my 5¢ advice.
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?
I'd so love to "pop in" to high society in say, early 19th Century England--or perhaps, to a lesser extent,
16th Century Elizabethan times. First of all, everything looked elegant and pretentious, even though that
couldn't be the case. (Seriously, they used chamber pots and bathed once a week, how grand could they
have been?) And second, who wouldn't want to spend some time in a grand manor or castle? On that
note, add Hogwarts to my list, as well.
So what's your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you're writing?
I listen to just about every type of music. Lately I've been listening to a lot of alternative like "All American
Rejects," "Muse," "Puddle of Mudd" and--on a friend's suggestion to get me into the vibe of skaters--"Avril
Lavigne." I don't listen to music while I write, it's too distracting. But I love to listen to it while I'm in the
thinking process and actively working out characters and plot.
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?
Hands down, my favorite current show is "Grey's Anatomy"--the writing is tight, the acting fabulous. It pulls
at your gut and makes you wish you were a patient at Seattle Grace. And that's saying something,
because I abhor going to the doctors and, let's face it, nobody looks good in a hospital johnie.
Movies--where to begin! From the subtle humor of Forrest Gump to the drama of The Shawshank
Redemption, to the magic of Harry Potter--if I like a flick, I'm going to want to watch it over and over to
relive it. That being said, I would have to tell you that I'm currently having a secret affair with the
modernized film versions of Jane Austen books with my favorites, of course, being Pride and Prejudice,
Sense and Sensibility, Clueless and Emma.
The last movie I saw in the theater was Night at the Museum. Hey, it's no period piece, but it was great fun.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Be who you going to be without worrying what people think of you, but don't forget to be kind.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
I'm currently working on a historical fiction called Apple Moon, which is about a boy who, albeit reluctantly,
rides the Orphan Trains to a new life. Although the work is fictional, I did draw heavily from the factual
accounts of real riders. I have a tremendous respect for these kids, for their resiliency. They had so much
taken away, in manner that breeds bitterness. Yet, many of them grew up to be the most giving of people.
That's what I've tried to capture in this book. I hope I've done them justice.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
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?
I've always dabbled with writing, but I have to give credit to my 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Dempsey, for really
putting the idea in my head. She told us that we were all writers and then she made it so by having us write
poems and stories all year. She even "published" them in a mimeographed and stapled "book" which, I am
proud to say, I still have.
Still, I was afraid to call myself a writer, even after I started writing for a local paper, even after I signed my
first contract. Saying it out loud seemed so risky. Then I got a phone call from the Society of Children's
Book Writer's and Illustrators saying that I'd won 2nd place for the Barbara Karlin Grant and a month after
that I place 2nd and 3rd in the Smartwriter's W.I.N. competition. That night, when I put my son to bed, I
whispered to him: "I think I might be a writer." He smiled, hugged me tight and said: "You are a writer."
That's when I really knew it was true.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
Here's where I point out how awesome it was to spend so long achieving my undergraduate degree. I
learned at my leisure, really and that is the sort of thing that gets you in the mindset of being a lifelong
learner. I wrote Death at Deacon Pond in the advanced writing course offered by the Institute of Children's
Literature, studying under Kevin McColley, who really pushed me to think about the market early on. I
submitted for about a year when Lobster Press made an offer. Ironically, I had just been accepted into
Vermont College's MFA program and I had to postpone my graduate studies to begin editing the
manuscript, but the hands-on experience was valuable.
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?
Death at Deacon Pond is the story about a girl who desperately wishes to be "a normal girl" but, of course,
is anything but. Maybe I've watched too much "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" but I'm a sucker for a character
who has been bestowed superpowers, but doesn't feel special at all.
Do I still have to convince you to buy the book? Seriously, though, if you're looking for a fast-paced book
where nothing and nobody are exactly what they seem--Death at Deacon Pond is for you.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
Death at Deacon Pond was definitely inspired by my early introduction to horror stories and, perhaps, by
spending way too much time in the woods. I've spent loads of time dwelling on what I've come to think on
as "the creep factor." You know, those moments in books or movies where the character--against all
logical reason--decides to put themselves in harm's way? It's that moment before the scare, that's what I
strive for, because that's the feeling from a scary story that stays with you, long after you've left it.
Let's hear about your family, who I'm sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
Without a doubt, my family and friends were thrilled for me. Truthfully, I think they had more confidence
that I'd get published than I did! I think my son, Ethan, is the most thrilled, though this is largely because
his name appears on the back cover. But he's my fiercest fan. He'll brook no negative comments about my
work!
Now for some fun facts. What's your greatest comfort food?
This is a tough one, because I love to eat! There are the obvious things--chocolate, chips,
cheesecake--but picking just one is too hard, because I'm as much a sucker for yummy spring rolls and
white pizza as I am for popcorn or pie.
No, no, no. Better that I go down on record saying that my favorite comfort food is one that isn't prepared
by my hands, but rather by someone who loves me, if not enough to cook, at least enough to buy me a
meal.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Get coffee. Drag my son out of bed and off to school. Check email. I'm so not a morning person. Neither is
my son, obviously.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what's the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
Besides clutter? Hmmm. Well, I'm loathed to admit it, but I'm fairly certain that my closet contains a number
of fashion felonies that would drive any of the reporters from E! News completely mad...Now, where did I
put my royal blue leg warmers? Kidding! I got rid of those last year.
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?
Though I'm tempted to say black, I think I'll say "gray" because I was once told by a former boss that if
opinions are black and white, I'm the cushion in-between--the "gray" middle ground that sees the pros and
cons of both sides. Gray is flexible, changeable and I think that's me. Besides, who wants to be
predictable?
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I am ashamed to admit it, but I'm beginning to be sucked into the satirical world of South Park. A guilty
pleasure to be sure. It is both a clever and crude parody of American life.
Good Grief! I'm like Charlie Brown. You know the score: gullible, trusting and always willing to take my shot
kicking the football? For what it's worth, my sister refers to me as "Lucy" because she spends a lot of time
calling me for my 5¢ advice.
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?
I'd so love to "pop in" to high society in say, early 19th Century England--or perhaps, to a lesser extent,
16th Century Elizabethan times. First of all, everything looked elegant and pretentious, even though that
couldn't be the case. (Seriously, they used chamber pots and bathed once a week, how grand could they
have been?) And second, who wouldn't want to spend some time in a grand manor or castle? On that
note, add Hogwarts to my list, as well.
So what's your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you're writing?
I listen to just about every type of music. Lately I've been listening to a lot of alternative like "All American
Rejects," "Muse," "Puddle of Mudd" and--on a friend's suggestion to get me into the vibe of skaters--"Avril
Lavigne." I don't listen to music while I write, it's too distracting. But I love to listen to it while I'm in the
thinking process and actively working out characters and plot.
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?
Hands down, my favorite current show is "Grey's Anatomy"--the writing is tight, the acting fabulous. It pulls
at your gut and makes you wish you were a patient at Seattle Grace. And that's saying something,
because I abhor going to the doctors and, let's face it, nobody looks good in a hospital johnie.
Movies--where to begin! From the subtle humor of Forrest Gump to the drama of The Shawshank
Redemption, to the magic of Harry Potter--if I like a flick, I'm going to want to watch it over and over to
relive it. That being said, I would have to tell you that I'm currently having a secret affair with the
modernized film versions of Jane Austen books with my favorites, of course, being Pride and Prejudice,
Sense and Sensibility, Clueless and Emma.
The last movie I saw in the theater was Night at the Museum. Hey, it's no period piece, but it was great fun.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Be who you going to be without worrying what people think of you, but don't forget to be kind.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
I'm currently working on a historical fiction called Apple Moon, which is about a boy who, albeit reluctantly,
rides the Orphan Trains to a new life. Although the work is fictional, I did draw heavily from the factual
accounts of real riders. I have a tremendous respect for these kids, for their resiliency. They had so much
taken away, in manner that breeds bitterness. Yet, many of them grew up to be the most giving of people.
That's what I've tried to capture in this book. I hope I've done them justice.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
