Author Interview: Carol Snow

Today, I'm happy to feature Carol Snow, author of her teen books, Switch, and Snap. I actually focused more on her book Switch with the interview, so I hope that's okay with you guys :)

What inspired you to write SWITCH?

An editor from HarperTeen who was familiar with my novels (I also write books for adults) asked my literary agent if I’d be interested in writing for teens. Since my daughter was approaching the teen years at that point, I jumped at the opportunity.

How did you come up of the idea for SWITCH?

I was walking along the beach in Carpinteria, California, when I thought about writing a story about a body switcher. Behind me there were kids in red bathing suits, part of a junior life guard program. So I thought, What if one of them was a body switcher?A row of big, beautiful houses loomed above me. I thought, And what if the body switcher wound up in one of those houses? It all just kind of came together from there.

Do you have any similarities with Claire? If not, differences?

We both like cats. Otherwise, Claire is superior to me in just about every way: more athletic, more even-tempered, more industrious. Plus, she’s a whole lot taller.

What are some of your favorite books?

My favorite YA books are probably the Uglies/Pretties series by Scott Westerfeld and The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak.

What's your favorite drink?

It’s hard to pick one. I do have a certain weakness for Diet Dr. Pepper, even though I know I’d be better off with water.

List 5-10 of your favorite things (does not have to be in order)

Cats

Dragonflies

Sand dollars

Fancy parties

The ocean

Flea markets

Lazy mornings

City strolls

Do you have any advice for those young writers out there?

For now, focus on your craft. Publication can wait. Read Strunk & White. Then read it again. Grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure – they all matter. Also, read widely and keep a journal.

Thanks Carol for the great interview, up next is my review for Snap. Go check out Carol's website here.