| Interview with Jeannine Garsee |
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 told stories practically from the moment I learned how to talk, and started writing them down as soon as I
could write. I think the very “moment” I knew that I wanted to be a writer came when I was in the 4th grade
and we had to write a story for class. Being a horse nut, I wrote (and illustrated) a story about a boy and his
horse, and read it out loud to the class—to rave reviews! God, did THAT ever go to my head! Later, when I
was 13 I decided to write a novel, and completed a series of three by the time I hit 10th grade. Have no idea
where they are now, but I’d love to read them—for a good laugh, if nothing else.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
(I like that “road to publishing”—try death march, lol!) Even though I wrote for fun for years and years, and
hoped to be published, I didn’t really take it all seriously till the middle nineties or so. Initially I started to
write Before/After the way I’d written the others—simply for fun. I’m not sure when that changed. I think it
just hit me that I’d already wasted so many years NOT trying to get published, and if I didn’t get going NOW
it would probably never happen. So I buckled down and wrote it, and started submitting to agents—long
before, I might add, it was ready to see the light of day. After multiple rejections, several close-but-no-
cigars, and numerous revisions over a 2-3 year period, TA-DAH! Tina Wexler of ICM agreed to rep me,
worked with me through several more revisions, and sold the novel to Bloomsbury in roughly three months.
This is definitely a dream come true.
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?
Martha has a humorous, very “in-your-face” approach to telling her story, and I think readers will easily be
swept into this very fast-paced story of a girl who only wants to be “normal” and appreciated for who she
is—not the person she tries so hard to be. (Before, After, and Somebody in Between)
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
This is a difficult one to answer because I’m inspired by so many things, mainly by the people I meet, and
events that happen around me, either in my life or on the news. Before/After was inspired by someone I
actually met, a white girl who was adopted by a black family, and my current work-in-progress was spurred
on by the current controversy over gay marriage.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
Yes, they’re pretty excited. I’m married and have two adult kids who live at home. My daughter, especially, is
very excited about my book—she was my first reader, and still my greatest supporter.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
Anything sweet that can rip out my fillings. Twizzlers are number one, followed closely by Jellie Bellies,
gummi bears, and any hard candy with a soft, chewy center. If I want “real” food, my favorite oinkfest (that I’
m not forced to cook for myself) is a foot-long seafood salad sub from Subway with lettuce, tomato, cheese,
onion, and about a half a bottle of vinegar. And I thrive on Starbucks lattes.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
1. Pee
2. Coffee
3. Hit my email
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
That I’m an incorrigible slob.
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?
In theater lighting, white is the presence of all color, black is the absence of color—so I’d have to say white.
I want to be every color. I can’t leave any of them out.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I absolutely LOVE Cartman on “South Park” and I have a special affinity for Wile E. Coyote, poor dude. But I
have to say I’m most like Daria. I tell it like it is. And, some days, it’s like everything annoys me.
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?
Another hard question! There are so many points in history I’ve love to experience, all of them in the U.S.:
the Gold Rush in the mid-to-late 1800s (picture me on a wagon train!) and the Roaring Twenties (just for
the fashions alone--rolled hose, fringed dress, etc.). I’d like to experience WWII first-hand as a typical U.S.
citizen, but the thing is I’d have to be “myself” with the personality and the knowledge I now possess—not so
I could try to change anything, but so I could view the events in a way no one around me could even
imagine. And—most of all—I’d like to take the mind I have NOW and transport myself back to 8th grade.
OMG! The FUN I would have!
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 everything—that’s no exaggeration—but my favorite is classical, particularly the Baroque period.
This is one passion my main character “inherited” from me although I, unlike Martha, have no musical talent
whatsoever. As far as contemporary music is concerned, my current favorites are Anna Nalick, Tracy
Chapman, Christina Aguilera, and Kelly Clarkson. Kelly’s “Because of You” especially speaks to me
because this could so be the theme song to Before/After. I’m a die-hard Beatles/Elvis/Elton John/Billy Joel
(in the order) and I also love Motown, classic rock, and, being a theater nut, I listen to a lot of Broadway.
I prefer not to listen to music while I’m writing; of course, when I’m sitting in a coffee shop with my laptop, I
have no choice. I prefer dead silence. It’s easier to concentrate.
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?
My all-time favorite show, which I’m now forced to watch in reruns, is “Six Feet Under” and I’m a HUGE fan of
“American Idol.” I’m also addicted to all the “Law and Order” spin-offs. As for movies, I can’t count the
number of times I’ve seen “The Godfather” trilogy. I also get a huge kick out of “Mean Girls” and “Muriel’s
Wedding.”
The last movie I saw was “The Bridge to Terabithia.” Shame on me, I never read the book, so the ending
was a shock. I cried through the last 20 minutes of the film.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
To quote Danny DeVito in “Renaissance Man”: “The choices you make dictate the life you lead.” Choose
carefully.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
I’m currently revising a second YA novel, something quite different from Before, After, and Somebody in
Between. Keep your fingers crossed!
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
Thanks, Jen!
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 told stories practically from the moment I learned how to talk, and started writing them down as soon as I
could write. I think the very “moment” I knew that I wanted to be a writer came when I was in the 4th grade
and we had to write a story for class. Being a horse nut, I wrote (and illustrated) a story about a boy and his
horse, and read it out loud to the class—to rave reviews! God, did THAT ever go to my head! Later, when I
was 13 I decided to write a novel, and completed a series of three by the time I hit 10th grade. Have no idea
where they are now, but I’d love to read them—for a good laugh, if nothing else.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
(I like that “road to publishing”—try death march, lol!) Even though I wrote for fun for years and years, and
hoped to be published, I didn’t really take it all seriously till the middle nineties or so. Initially I started to
write Before/After the way I’d written the others—simply for fun. I’m not sure when that changed. I think it
just hit me that I’d already wasted so many years NOT trying to get published, and if I didn’t get going NOW
it would probably never happen. So I buckled down and wrote it, and started submitting to agents—long
before, I might add, it was ready to see the light of day. After multiple rejections, several close-but-no-
cigars, and numerous revisions over a 2-3 year period, TA-DAH! Tina Wexler of ICM agreed to rep me,
worked with me through several more revisions, and sold the novel to Bloomsbury in roughly three months.
This is definitely a dream come true.
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?
Martha has a humorous, very “in-your-face” approach to telling her story, and I think readers will easily be
swept into this very fast-paced story of a girl who only wants to be “normal” and appreciated for who she
is—not the person she tries so hard to be. (Before, After, and Somebody in Between)
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
This is a difficult one to answer because I’m inspired by so many things, mainly by the people I meet, and
events that happen around me, either in my life or on the news. Before/After was inspired by someone I
actually met, a white girl who was adopted by a black family, and my current work-in-progress was spurred
on by the current controversy over gay marriage.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
Yes, they’re pretty excited. I’m married and have two adult kids who live at home. My daughter, especially, is
very excited about my book—she was my first reader, and still my greatest supporter.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
Anything sweet that can rip out my fillings. Twizzlers are number one, followed closely by Jellie Bellies,
gummi bears, and any hard candy with a soft, chewy center. If I want “real” food, my favorite oinkfest (that I’
m not forced to cook for myself) is a foot-long seafood salad sub from Subway with lettuce, tomato, cheese,
onion, and about a half a bottle of vinegar. And I thrive on Starbucks lattes.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
1. Pee
2. Coffee
3. Hit my email
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
That I’m an incorrigible slob.
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?
In theater lighting, white is the presence of all color, black is the absence of color—so I’d have to say white.
I want to be every color. I can’t leave any of them out.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I absolutely LOVE Cartman on “South Park” and I have a special affinity for Wile E. Coyote, poor dude. But I
have to say I’m most like Daria. I tell it like it is. And, some days, it’s like everything annoys me.
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?
Another hard question! There are so many points in history I’ve love to experience, all of them in the U.S.:
the Gold Rush in the mid-to-late 1800s (picture me on a wagon train!) and the Roaring Twenties (just for
the fashions alone--rolled hose, fringed dress, etc.). I’d like to experience WWII first-hand as a typical U.S.
citizen, but the thing is I’d have to be “myself” with the personality and the knowledge I now possess—not so
I could try to change anything, but so I could view the events in a way no one around me could even
imagine. And—most of all—I’d like to take the mind I have NOW and transport myself back to 8th grade.
OMG! The FUN I would have!
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 everything—that’s no exaggeration—but my favorite is classical, particularly the Baroque period.
This is one passion my main character “inherited” from me although I, unlike Martha, have no musical talent
whatsoever. As far as contemporary music is concerned, my current favorites are Anna Nalick, Tracy
Chapman, Christina Aguilera, and Kelly Clarkson. Kelly’s “Because of You” especially speaks to me
because this could so be the theme song to Before/After. I’m a die-hard Beatles/Elvis/Elton John/Billy Joel
(in the order) and I also love Motown, classic rock, and, being a theater nut, I listen to a lot of Broadway.
I prefer not to listen to music while I’m writing; of course, when I’m sitting in a coffee shop with my laptop, I
have no choice. I prefer dead silence. It’s easier to concentrate.
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?
My all-time favorite show, which I’m now forced to watch in reruns, is “Six Feet Under” and I’m a HUGE fan of
“American Idol.” I’m also addicted to all the “Law and Order” spin-offs. As for movies, I can’t count the
number of times I’ve seen “The Godfather” trilogy. I also get a huge kick out of “Mean Girls” and “Muriel’s
Wedding.”
The last movie I saw was “The Bridge to Terabithia.” Shame on me, I never read the book, so the ending
was a shock. I cried through the last 20 minutes of the film.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
To quote Danny DeVito in “Renaissance Man”: “The choices you make dictate the life you lead.” Choose
carefully.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
I’m currently revising a second YA novel, something quite different from Before, After, and Somebody in
Between. Keep your fingers crossed!
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
Thanks, Jen!
