Today, I have Jennifer Brown author the extremely touching Hate List. I'm really excited to be interviewing her on my blog. One thing you must know about her, is that she is a fun person :)
Your book is named Hate List, may I ask your Hate List or maybe even your Love List?
I've never had a hate list, but I guess if I did there would be only one thing on it: Hate.
My love list is another story -- very long! But here's a little taste of it:
*Hub
*Kids, especially my own
*The Office
*Musicals, especially Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, and Fiddler on the Roof
*Blueberry Cobbler coffee
*The Beatles
*Kansas City
*Walt Disney World and Mickey Mouse in general
*Food Network
*The 1980s
*Snow
How are you and Valerie alike? How are you different?
Some of the bullying that Valerie and Nick went through are actual re-tellings of bullying that I endured in junior high and high school. In that way, Valerie and I are very much alike. Where we differ is that I was shy and easily-embarrassed and I turned inward and tried to just continue to put on a happy face everyday, Valerie went to a place of hate. That's not to say I never said, "Oh, I just HATE so-and-so!" because I'm sure I did. I may have even meant it. But I was more scared than hateful.
Also, Valerie had a way of looking at a boy like Nick and seeing all the good in him and never being able to predict how he might be bad, especially how he might be bad for her. I was always guilty of falling for the "bad" boys, if not just generally bad, then definitely bad for me. Of course, I never fell for anyone who did anything nearly as bad as what Nick did.
If you could pick a theme song for Hate List, what would it be and why?
In the beginning of the book, there are lyrics quoted from Nickelback's "If Everyone Cared." I love the lyrics to that song, and actually that song was in a way what inspired me to write the book.
What has been the best thing someone ever said about your book?
That they wanted to pursue their dream of writing because they wanted to touch readers the way my characters touched them.
Do you have any must-have's while writing?
Something to drink -- coffee or Diet Dr. Pepper or water. And music, but it has to be music sung in a foreign language, so I don't understand it and sing along and get distracted. Other than that, I could write, upside-down on my head in a snowstorm on a leaf using a piece of petrified bubblegum.
Who are some of your favorite authors?
I love classic literature, so tops on my list are John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, and Dickens. But current authors... I'd go with Gail Giles, John Green, Jay Asher... boy, I could go on all day.
If you were brought to a deserted island, which 3 books would you bring with you?
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Lastly, is there anything else you'd like to add?
Thank you for having me! This has been fun!
TB: Your welcome Jennifer!
Thanks to Jennifer for letting me interview her!
About the Author
1 comment:
Awesome interview, thanks! I've been dying to read this book, and it's interesting to know who's behind the words. And, lol, it makes music all the better when you can't understand it, right? :)
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