| Interview with JoAnne Whittemore |
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?
Well, I’ve always enjoyed writing, but I really started to get interested in it after college. People are
probably tired of hearing this story by now, but the year after I graduated, I attended a book signing by my
favorite author, Terry Brooks. Listening to him talk to all of us in the audience about his craft as if we were
his literary equals was inspiring. That same year, I started work on my first novel.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
The road to publishing was much longer and more complex than I ever expected. I had the arrogance and
naiveté to believe, before even being offered a contract, that I would be a famous bestseller in a few
years. Well, here I am at 28 just getting my first book published! I encountered a lot of rejection on the
way, which made it difficult to continue at times, but then I would meet certain people or enjoy certain
experiences that made me clench my jaw and send the manuscript off to another editor. Getting a book
published is one of the most humbling, courage-building tasks someone can ever undertake. If a person
is looking for instant gratification, they might want to try another road.
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?
I just released a book in March called Escape from Arylon, the first in a fantasy trilogy for teens. If I could
tell readers only one thing, it would be that the teen heroes in the story travel from our world to one
steeped in magic.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
Teenagers are the greatest inspiration for my stories. Their minds and actions can be amazing at times,
refusing to let their ages be a limitation of their abilities.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
I have a HUGE family. My immediate family is my parents, my sister, and my husband. They’re all very
happy and proud, which makes me happy because I like to show them that with their love and support, I
turned out pretty well. Then, if you tack on my mom’s side of the family, my dad’s side of the family, my
sister’s family, and my husband’s family…let’s just say I won’t be hurting for babysitters when I have a kid.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
My mother’s spaghetti and meatballs.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Turn off my alarm clock, pull out my earplugs and use the bathroom.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
I have an axe handle in my closet. I went to Texas A&M University, and every year we would have Bonfire.
Different dorms would cut down the logs for Bonfire, and occasionally, an axe handle would break off. A
friend of mine gave me his, and I keep it in my closet should I ever need to bash an intruder over the head.
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?
If I could be a color, it would have to be pink because it’s girly and would be an excellent counterbalance
to my tomboyish personality.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
My favorite cartoon character would have to be [Philip J.] Fry from Futurama. I love how clueless he is.
After someone gives him a lengthy scientific explanation of how something works, Fry says, “Magic.
Got it.”
I’m most like Lisa Simpson from The Simpsons because I’m an uber-nerd. I love museums and spelling
bees, and I was the kid in school who complained when I got an A and not an A+.
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?
If I could beam myself to anywhere in the world, barring the diseases of the time, it would be the
Caribbean in the 18th century to see the scourge of the sea (pirates!) in action. I would love to have met
Anne Bonny and Mary Read.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’
re writing?
My favorite type of music is alternative rock. My favorite artists are 311, Sublime and Nine Inch Nails. I do
listen to music while I’m writing, but only movie soundtracks with no lyrics.
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 don’t watch too much TV anymore, but my favorite shows are 24 and Family Guy (I’m a big fan of topical
humor). Movies I can watch over and over again are Serenity, The Birdcage, Rent, and Singing in the
Rain. The last movie I saw at the theater was Poseidon.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
High school may be the toughest, cruelest time of your life, but it’ll be over in four years, and the popular
girl who made fun of your clothes will end up living in her parent’s basement with her five children.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
My second book, Curse of Arastold, comes out in July. I’m also working on another fantasy novel and a
contemporary mystery.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
Thank you, Jen! It’s been a pleasure.
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?
Well, I’ve always enjoyed writing, but I really started to get interested in it after college. People are
probably tired of hearing this story by now, but the year after I graduated, I attended a book signing by my
favorite author, Terry Brooks. Listening to him talk to all of us in the audience about his craft as if we were
his literary equals was inspiring. That same year, I started work on my first novel.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
The road to publishing was much longer and more complex than I ever expected. I had the arrogance and
naiveté to believe, before even being offered a contract, that I would be a famous bestseller in a few
years. Well, here I am at 28 just getting my first book published! I encountered a lot of rejection on the
way, which made it difficult to continue at times, but then I would meet certain people or enjoy certain
experiences that made me clench my jaw and send the manuscript off to another editor. Getting a book
published is one of the most humbling, courage-building tasks someone can ever undertake. If a person
is looking for instant gratification, they might want to try another road.
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?
I just released a book in March called Escape from Arylon, the first in a fantasy trilogy for teens. If I could
tell readers only one thing, it would be that the teen heroes in the story travel from our world to one
steeped in magic.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
Teenagers are the greatest inspiration for my stories. Their minds and actions can be amazing at times,
refusing to let their ages be a limitation of their abilities.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
I have a HUGE family. My immediate family is my parents, my sister, and my husband. They’re all very
happy and proud, which makes me happy because I like to show them that with their love and support, I
turned out pretty well. Then, if you tack on my mom’s side of the family, my dad’s side of the family, my
sister’s family, and my husband’s family…let’s just say I won’t be hurting for babysitters when I have a kid.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
My mother’s spaghetti and meatballs.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Turn off my alarm clock, pull out my earplugs and use the bathroom.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
I have an axe handle in my closet. I went to Texas A&M University, and every year we would have Bonfire.
Different dorms would cut down the logs for Bonfire, and occasionally, an axe handle would break off. A
friend of mine gave me his, and I keep it in my closet should I ever need to bash an intruder over the head.
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?
If I could be a color, it would have to be pink because it’s girly and would be an excellent counterbalance
to my tomboyish personality.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
My favorite cartoon character would have to be [Philip J.] Fry from Futurama. I love how clueless he is.
After someone gives him a lengthy scientific explanation of how something works, Fry says, “Magic.
Got it.”
I’m most like Lisa Simpson from The Simpsons because I’m an uber-nerd. I love museums and spelling
bees, and I was the kid in school who complained when I got an A and not an A+.
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?
If I could beam myself to anywhere in the world, barring the diseases of the time, it would be the
Caribbean in the 18th century to see the scourge of the sea (pirates!) in action. I would love to have met
Anne Bonny and Mary Read.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’
re writing?
My favorite type of music is alternative rock. My favorite artists are 311, Sublime and Nine Inch Nails. I do
listen to music while I’m writing, but only movie soundtracks with no lyrics.
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 don’t watch too much TV anymore, but my favorite shows are 24 and Family Guy (I’m a big fan of topical
humor). Movies I can watch over and over again are Serenity, The Birdcage, Rent, and Singing in the
Rain. The last movie I saw at the theater was Poseidon.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
High school may be the toughest, cruelest time of your life, but it’ll be over in four years, and the popular
girl who made fun of your clothes will end up living in her parent’s basement with her five children.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
My second book, Curse of Arastold, comes out in July. I’m also working on another fantasy novel and a
contemporary mystery.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
Thank you, Jen! It’s been a pleasure.
