Wait a minute... Meg Cabot is appearing at the TASL business meeting on Friday afternoon. So why are we posting her interview on the YART blog? Because Meg was kind enough to play along and how could we say no to that?
1. Have you attended TLA before? If so, what advice do you have for new authors?
No, I've never been! But my advice for anyone attending any conference is always: Don't wear heels.
2. What is your preferred method of writing and why -- laptop, longhand, typewriter?
I've tried them all, and for me, the MacAir Notebook wins, hands down.
3. Favorite books of the past year
Wow, this is really hard because I read so many books last year and they were all so good! I know I'll forget one. But anyway, I really loved Susan Juby's "Getting the Girl" (which is up for a YA Edgar Award), and I liked a new YA contemporary called "What Would Emma Do" by Eileen Cook (set in my native Indiana, how could I resist?), as well as a very funny middle grade called "Boys are Dogs" by Leslie Margolis. Rachel Vail is someone whose writing style I've always admired--her book "Lucky" was great and I can't wait for the sequel "Gorgeous" out this year. As for adult books, I'm a huge Alexander McCall Smith fan (#1 Ladies Detective Agency), but I also really enjoyed both the Chelsea Handler memoirs, as well as Michael Ian Black's collection of humorous essays. What can I say, I love funny books!
4. Favorite books from your YA years
I was a huge sci-fi geek, so anything set on the planet of Pern by Anne McCaffrey I devoured. I also loved Meg from A Wrinkle in Time because we had the same name so I read all those books. I loved anything where the heroine didn't get pregnant or became anorexic because as someone who had friends these things were happening to, I just wanted an escape from all that. If, however, the heroine traveled through time, had ESP, rode a dragon, or fought anyone, that was cool. Lois Duncan rocked my world. Actually, she still does.
5. Finish this sentence. The perfect vacation is...
Well, this is really boring, but since I travel so much, for me the perfect vacation is a stay-cation....staying home!
6. MySpace or Facebook?
I have pages on both, but I try never to go there if I want to get anything done. Who doesn't want to hear from their beloved high school French teacher? I once wasted 3 hours looking up the correct French for "How have you been, Mademoiselle Nowling? I hope you're fine!" only to realize she was going to be super disappointed in the fact that I'd forgotten everything she'd taught me so I just wrote on her wall in English. Seriously, I have to just stay away.
7. BBQ or Tex-Mex?
Mmmm...cheesy quesadillas...Totally Tex-Mex.
8. Finish this sentence. Libraries are…
...where I've always gone for sanctuary. Like Quasimodo and Notre Dame.
10. Do you have a blog, website, or other online presence that you would like to share with us?
