An Interview With One Of My Favorite Authors

Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life - and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey's boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie's own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they're the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can't collide without the whole wide world exploding.

 This remarkable debut is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block. Just as much a celebration of love as it is a portrait of loss, Lennie's struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often hilarious, and ultimately unforgettable.

(Goodreads description)
If you've read THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson, then there's a good chance she's one of your new favorite authors too.  Even Nathan Bransford (former lit agent and author of the Jacob Wonderbar MG series) and Tahereh Mafi (YA author of SHATTER ME) playfully argued about how many stars to give this novel...both agreeing it deserved more than the five star scale allowed for. 

Nelson is a poet who listened to SKY's main character and turned what was supposed to be a verse novel into a prose novel.  Poetry is interspersed beautifully, and heart-breakingly, into the novel. 

I wanted to share this interview with you, because in it Nelson shares the reasons behind her writing decisions, the challenges she faced, and her favorite parts of writing.

Reading about how a favorite author--an incredibly talented author--writes, is inspiring.

Please click this link to read the interview.  I hope it inspires you, too.  And, if you haven't already read THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE, please do.  It truly is a must read for all who love to read and write YA fiction.

Jandy Nelson-twitter-website- goodreads