November Author Series

So, today's a day off for most of us (well, unless you work retail, then get your game-face on). What better activity could you do today than read and write? Nothing except, well, maybe digest. And, for the more foolhardy of us, go out and catch some great deals. Right now, though, you're in for a treat only slightly less sweet than Grandma's Pumpkin Pie. Got your trigger fingers ready? Good, because when you're through with this, you're gonna' be itching to go to Amazon and do some preordering. Today's interviewee is my friend:

**drumroll, please**

Gae Polisner

Tell us about your book. The Pull of Gravity (FSG, May 2011) is a young adult book about two teens who go on a secret road trip to try to keep one final promise to a friend and fall in love and learn a little about Steinbeck -- and the crappy truth about best laid plans -- in the process. It's poignant, quirky and funny and it was a lot of fun to write.

What's the best thing about writing?  Not knowing how a lovely string of words that create a great moment come out of your fingertips and end up on the page.

What's the worst thing about writing? How do you deal with that part and keep writing?  The revisions where you're not revising for substance and big changes anymore, but rather are revising to make each little word sing, and just when you think you've finished after your 10th pass through, you see a whole bunch of words that aren't singing. Yeah, I hate that part. How do i keep writing through it? No one will take the book if I don't. Basically. And if they do, they shouldn't. (note: erica says well said, i feel this pain)

What's your favorite food/recipe? This answer totally depends on my mood. Something simple: angel hair pasta with olive oil, garlic, lemon and broccoli rabe; a great salad with lots of crunchy things in it; strawberries and sour cream with brown sugar. I'm not really a cook. I like simple pleasures. Please pair it with a complimentary (or your favorite) wine/beer/beverage. I'm not much of a drinker. I'll take a yellow tail Shiraz with the pasta, I suppose. And an icy pina colada with the strawberries and sour cream. But my favorite beverage is really young green coconut juice.

What else do you want our followers to know about you and your journey towards publication? You should know I'm sunny and fun and a ball of light to be around. Generally adorable. Also, I am pretty much making these answers up off the top of my head. As for my journey to publication, you should know it never ends. Seriously. Each new manuscript is its own journey. Especially in this economic climate and given the crazy sea change of new technology. (If you are reading this and you are looking for quality women's fiction, please contact me, I have two manuscripts who are lost on that journey)

What are your future goals as an author? I'm going to do my damnedest to work with my current editor again. I want to write the kind of books she puts out in the world. And, I'd love to find a house for my women's fiction. I'd love to write a picture book. I have two other finished young adult manuscripts and two in the works. Finished and published, that's the drill. And, I'm dabbling in a sexy novella. I don't want to be boxed in. I want to write work that matters or touches people in some small way. That's worthy of being put out there. And then see it get out there.

How did you break it to your family/friends/etc. that you wanted to be an author? What did they say? What do they say now?  I don't get this question. (note: Gae is very lucky for that.)

What is the planning process like for your novels? Do you outline? Do you jot down notes? Do you get naked and do the novel dance beneath a full moon?  There is no planning. There's a spark of inspiration; some small idea. Some characters I want to incorporate. What they want to say. Then, I douse myself in water. Any kind of water, as long as it's deep enough to swim in. Most of my writing comes to me in water. If you wanted to, you could read more about that here: A Day in the Life

Who is your writing mentor and why? Or, alternatively, who do you emulate?  I don't have mentors or people I try to emulate. But I completely admire my editor, the legendary Frances Foster (Holes, Someday this Pain Will be Useful to You, and all of Peter Sis' magnficent picture books to name a few. She's worked with Roald Dahl). I want to write books that she loves. She makes me want to be a better writer every day. I can't believe she fell in love with The Pull of Gravity and fought to bring it to the house.

If you had a pet elephant, what would his/her name be? How do elephants influence your writing style? How does the movie Dumbo make you feel?  I am not particularly influenced by elephants. Monkeys on the other hand? Very. I'd tell you in what way, but they've sworn me to secrecy. Suffice it to say it's a banana and coconut thing. (erica sighs over the elephant aversion that has gone rampant on her blog)

Thanks for interviewing me. I hope I haven't put you to sleep. My website and blog links are here and my Facebook writer's page is here.

Thanks, Gae!! We've had so much fun with these interviews and hope you have, too. We have one more for those of you writing "adult" fiction, coming up on Tuesday, the last day of November. Oh, and christy? Still planning on getting you those paranormal/fantasy authors one of these months!!