Interview by Linda Hansen-Raj
What has been the most unexpected aspect of joining the Star Wars franchise?
All the attention the book got when it first came out. I guess I knew that was going to happen, but I wasn’t really prepared for it.
As you were writing Razor’s Edge, did aspects of Leia’s personality resonate with your own?
When I first saw Star Wars, I was thirteen, so I feel like I grew up with Leia’s character. I don’t know that my personality is all that similar, but I think that she represented someone I wanted to be like when I was a kid. She was so calm under pressure, she got to have adventures and fly on spaceships. She’s just always been one of my favorite characters, and it was really fun to have her as the main character.
Many of your books feature spunky heroines: Madeline from Death of the Necromancer and Emilie from Emilie and the Hollow World, for example. Are these the kinds of characters you enjoy the most?
I think I like writing spunky people in general. I don’t think I write my female characters any differently from my male characters. I like writing people who have a sense of humor, who don’t give up, who have flaws but manage to deal with them.
What inspires you to support other writers as you do through your blog, at book signings and via social media?
I got a lot of support when I was first starting out, so I try to pass it on as much as possible. It’s very rewarding when someone you critiqued in a workshop is able to sell a novel or a story.
You’ve mentioned enjoying Renaissance Fairs. Do your hobbies inform your writing?
My other hobbies are mostly reading and watching TV, so they probably do inform my writing quite a bit. I write the kinds of books that I like to read.
Doctors Without Borders is a charity you support on your blog. Can you share why you support them? What other charities do you support, and why?
I just think they’re doing important work. I think everybody should have access to good medical care. I also support The Southern Poverty Law Center and the Red Cross. I also love buying books for school library book fairs. It’s fun to see what the students want to read and to order those books for them.
You’ve written fanfic in the past. Any advice to other fanfic writers?
Just have fun!