The awesome Book Blogger Appreciation Week is going on right now and like last year, I signed up to do the BBAW interview swap. I was paired up with a wonderful book blogger. I have Kimm from Fall In Love With Books. You should all go visit her wonderful blog!
What is your favorite classic novel?
I'm flightly about this...favorites change depending on my mood. At this moment: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. This book gives me chills!
Who is a character from a book that you admire?
Anne from Jane Austen's Persuasion. She's a woman who learns her own mind in the end and doesn't cave in to pressure. I think we are all searching for a little strength in our lives. She gives me inspiration.
Do you prefer stand alone books or book series?
I don't have a preference either way, although I just finished a series by Richelle Mead and am sitting here having an anxiety attack because the final book isn't going to be released until next year!
What is your favorite zoo animal?
I love Beluga whales the most. There is a zoo in Washington that has an underground viewing room to see their Beluga's. They come right up to you and stare into your eyes. It's a surreal experience! I Penguins are almost tied, just because they crack me up with their antics. Oh, I cannot forget one that's really unusual to me: an Okapi. So hard to explain that one!
Where is one place you would like to travel to?
Top on my wishlist is to take a cruise in the Mediterranean that will allow me to go to Turkey & Egypt. Seeing the Pyramids is a must!
What is your favorite place to read at?
I like to read in bed for the most part. There's something relaxing about getting bundled under the covers and losing myself in a great story.
Do you prefer Borders or Barnes & Noble?
I only have a little Borders store where I live (which is still called Waldenbooks for some reason)...so going to Barnes & Noble is a big treat for me. I guess that makes B&N my favorite. I'll probably break down and buy one of their Nooks before the year is over. :-)
What is your favorite historical fiction book?
For all time: Not sure. For this year: Romancing Miss Bronte by Juliet Gael or The Last Queen by CW Gortner. Both books are phenomenal!
Do you dog ear or use a bookmark?
Bookmarks only!! Cannot even contemplate mutilating my books!!
What is your favorite color?
Green...like an emerald
What is a subject you do a lot about?
As in read a lot? I read a lot of historical romances. I always fall back on them when I'm not sure what to read next. I love Regency Romances.
[Sorry! I butchered this question.]
How many books are in your 'to be read' pile right now?
Oooh....I'm going to say, 50 or 60? I lose track and unfortunately don't have them catalogued anywhere. I just know it won't stop growing as long as I keep buying books!!
What is the last young adult book you read?
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. LOVED IT!!!
Stephen King or Nicholas Sparks?
I haven't read Sparks at all and the only King book I've read is The Stand. But, I guess I do like Sparks' movies better than Kings.
Okay, most importantly, snicker-doodle cookies or peanut butter cookies?
Yes, this is extremely important. lol Sugar Cookies still rule!!! I guess Snicker-doodles are close to that.
I want to go to Turkey and Egypt, too and emerald green is one of my favorite colors. And YUM! Sugar cookies are just awesome!
Short BIO: Cheryl Renee Herbsman was born in New York City and raised in Durham, North Caraolina. She is the middle child of five kids with three brothers and one sister. She got her undergraduate degree from Duke University and a master's degree in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. Her debut novel, Breathing, came out in 2009. (Taken from her biography page)
1. Describe Breathing in 6 words. – romantic summer story about following dreams
2. I liked the interesting names for your characters (especially the story behind Savannah and Dog's name,) how did you come up with them? – these names just came to me. I closed my eyes and imagined the mom trying to come up with their names and the scenarios just appeared. I imagined her turning on the radio when Savannah was born and the idea of a tornado heading for Savannah, Georgia popped into my mind. Then I imagined Dog being born and Porsha being too afraid to turn on the radio, looking out her window instead. I imagined the trees in NC and remembered how beautiful the dogwoods are when they’re blooming, and then Dog had a name!
3. In what ways are you NOT like Savannah? – I hope she’s more stubborn and insistent than I am :)
4. Breathing is a great summer book. Do you have any favorite summer books?I love summer stories, especially when they have romance in them. Sarah Dessen has some good ones.
5. What is your favorite summer memory? – Summer was always my favorite time of year, mostly because I was so happy to go to my sleep-away camp or in later years to visit my long-distance boyfriend.
6. Can you remember the moment you decided to write this novel?Yep, it started in a writing group exercise. I wrote a scene from the first chapter. And as soon as I read it out to the group, I knew there was a kind of energy behind this character I had to follow.
7. What character was hardest for you to write?I think the mom’s boyfriend, DC.
8. How was it writing about Savannah's breathing/asthma? Did/do you have any personal experiences?My personal experience with asthma comes from two areas: working in a pediatric hospital unit in college and then seeing my husband and daughter struggle with mild asthma. Luckily, we’ve never had any extreme experiences like Savannah’s. But I researched it a lot and tried to imagine what it would feel like for her.
9. Are you good at art, like Jackson is, in the book?No :( But I so wish I was! That’s the great thing about writing – you get to pretend :D
10. What are your next book plans?I’m working on a new book. It’s very different from Breathing, but carries over the same hopeful feeling.
11. What is your favorite clothing store?Ambiance in San Francisco.
12. Mexican or Chinese food?Thai. But since that’s not an option I’ll go with Mexican.
13. What is your favorite 'feel good' song? I don’t know if I could limit it to one favorite. But 1,2,3,4 by the Plain White Tees is a fun “feel good” song.
14. Chocolate chip cookies or sugar cookies?Definitely chocolate chip!
15. What was the last movie you watched?Avatar
Thanks so much for having me, Bianca!
Thank you, Cheryl, for the awesome interview!
You can order BreathingHERE. To check out her cool site go HERE.
Go check it out HERE. The interview was so much fun doing! C:
Oh, I forgot to mention that I was also featured at BooksObsession.
Also, I'd like to remain everyone that there are only a couple more days to enter to win Explorer X-Alpha by LM. Preston! Don't miss your chance! Enter HERE.
AND today was the last day of school until January 4! YAHHHH! NO MORE FINALS. Will be posting reviews soon!
Today I would like to welcome author Tish Cohen! I recently read her newest YA book, Little Black Lies and I really enjoyed it!
What is your inspiration for writing?
I am inspired by people. Especially eccentric people who exist on the fringe of society to some degree. I like to imagine the lives they forge for themselves.
Which character can you relate to most from Little Black Lies?
I think I relate most to Sara Black because I too was a child of divorce and because we moved frequently, I wound up being the new kid at school many times.
I loved how you had a trivial fact about ants at the start of each chapter. Did you always know you were going to incorporate that into the book?
I believe my brilliant editor thought up the idea, but I had great fun researching ants and relating ant facts to the storyline.
Was your high school anything like Anton High? What was your favorite part of HS?
My high school was not at all like Anton, which was inspired by New York’s Stuyvesant and Boston’s Boston Latin. I think my favorite part about high school was just hanging out with good friends. I went to Fullerton Union High School in California, and made friendships I treasure today.
What advice would you give to a new student at a completely different high school, like Sara Black?
Join in as quickly as you can. If you can join in a club, you’ll likely find friends there and making friends quickly will make those dreaded lonely lunch periods a thing of the past!
What is your typical writing day like?
I usually get the kids to school, take the dog out, then bring coffee (for me) and biscuits (for my dog) into my writing room and get started. Some days I work on and off all day. Other days I wind up doing interviews or other marketing events.
Coffee or tea?
Coffee, but I might try decaf.
Would you rather go to a movie theatre or live show?
Live show so I can feel and be inspired by the energy of the actors and the music. That inspires me.
Thanksgiving just passed. What was your favorite food you had?
Believe it or not, the turnips were my favorite. Oh, and my sister made homemade caramel ice cream—it was to die for.
What is your favorite word?
It changes constantly. Right now: mashup. Not even a real word and I got it from Glee. On Wednesday night I used it on live TV and the author with me (John Bemrose) told me it was a great word!
A few months ago, Sasha Soren contacted me about a blog tour for her first book RANDOM MAGIC. I am so pleased to be one of the people on the tour. It's my firsts blog tour ever and I'm glad its for this book!
It has been such a BLAST chatting with Sasha Soren these past couple of months. She is truly unlike any other author I've met -in a totally good way! Sasha truly has an amazing interior. She is so genuine and kind hearted. I love that she loves the arts and music and she's wicked amazing! Here is the interview I had with her, which by the way is my first author interview for this site!
***In Random Magic, what character was your favorite to write and why?
They were all so interesting to write, for different reasons. Some outlandish, preposterous, very funny characters, so
me loopy ones, some scary ones, all kinds of really fascinating people.
Winnie was fun to write, and also spent the most time with her – well, for the entire journey.
Winnie is a favorite character for a lot of people, and I agree with them for all the same reasons that they name – that she’s feisty, brave, passionate, clever, fearless, stoic, calm, bright and resourceful, she has guts, she never gives up even when she’s up against overwhelming odds, she’s loyal and she’s a true, very good friend to Henry.
I like her for all of these reasons, and she was fun to write because she’s so abrupt, tough, a bit of a handful, but she also has a tender heart and will fight to the death to protect herself or anyone she cares about.
She’s a bit…much, but she’s true blue. Anyone would be very lucky to have a friend like Winnie on their side -- which probably makes up a lot for her impatience, abruptness, and tendency to be a bit of a wise ass.
***Did you listen to any specific song or band while writing this book?
Actually, no, I tend to think better in absolute silence, can hear the inner thoughts with far greater clarity and preci
sion. Otherwise, it’s sort of like trying to have a conversation at a very loud party, you miss important details. That’s an inefficient way to write a book, because you’re making more work for yourself.
Some writers do actually have a kind of ‘soundtrack’ they listen to for their book, or music they like to listen to while writing, but to me it’s just distracting, because I love music, and would probably start listening to the music instead of what’s going on inside my head.
Not really able to use ‘background’ music for anything, because I actually do pay attention to the lyrics and various changes in rhythm, the instruments used, the timbre of the voice, etc.
I just really appreciate a lot of different kinds of music, and try to give the artist the respect they deserve by paying attention to their work, not just relegating it to background static.
Which, of course, would mean that, if I’m listening to music, then I’m not focusing on hearing the characters, or looking around at the sights or listening for the sounds of some particular fictional world.
It’s interesting that you mentioned music, though, because in the book, there are several mentions of music or musicians.
One of the people Winnie and Henry meet along the way is, in fact, the Muse of Music – Efterpe, whose nickname in the book is Effie.
Composer Ludwig van Beethoven even personally appears in a chapter where Winnie and Henry are visiting the Nine Muses – in the book, he’s Effie’s houseguest, working on a new little ditty he’s been thinking about, in honor of a jolly lass he’s met, called Joy.
A lighthouse, probably. Or maybe an island in the middle of nowhere. All that isolation and quiet, and nothing to hear but maybe the wind and the waves.
Or maybe some decrepit castle with no running water, but a roaring fireplace and big comfy chairs and a dusty library filled with delightful old books.
In daily life, have to compromise, but normally it’s somewhere quiet with very few distractions. You have to be able to hear your thoughts, or you lose the threads of the story.
***Where would you take your dream vacation and what would you do?
Well, I see vacations as -- not so much as party time, you know, like a weekend getaway, staying in a hotel, with the primary intention of having a rollicking good time -- but more as an opportunity to learn about the world and the people in it.
I try to stay for as long as possible, and to live as much like a local person as possible, because you just learn more that way. This world has some very interesting places.
I enjoy learning new things, and meeting interesting people, so it would also be very nice to travel somewhere with the intention of learning something totally new – maybe learning Swahili, or going on an archaeological expedition, or studying architecture and painting in Rome, and so forth.
I like to travel, but also like to learn and acquire new skills and experience new things, and challenge myself to try something I’ve never tried before. I might master the skill or not, but in any case, it’s just nice to learn something new every day of your life.
Having said that, it would also be fun to make a tour of the entire globe, by boat or biplane or submarine or hot air balloon or something equally as impractical. Not practical, but wouldn’t it be fun?
***What is your favorite painting?
I love art, so this is a difficult question to answer, because there are so many paintings that are just incredible, it’s impossible to choose just one favorite.
Quite like the work of Caravaggio; he was a brilliant painter, and also a bit of a character.
Also enjoy the work of the Pre-Raphaelites, because their visions of mythological, legendary figures are so vivid and evocative.
The reason both these works might have special meaning to an artist or writer, dancer or other creative person, is because they’re both visual representations of a theme that every creative person will understand: the isolation and difficulty of creating any work of art, the sacrifices required of you, whether that work is music, or a book, or a poem, or a dance work, or a painting.
The ballad both portraits are based on is The Lady of Shalott, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
Here is an excerpt:
On either side the river lie
Long fields of barley and of rye,
That clothe the wold and meet the sky;
And thro' the field the road runs by
To many-tower'd Camelot;
And up and down the people go,
Gazing where the lilies blow
Round an island there below,
The island of Shalott…
Four grey walls, and four grey towers,
Overlook a space of flowers,
And the silent isle imbowers
The Lady of Shalott…
But who hath seen her wave her hand?
Or at the casement seen her stand?
Or is she known in all the land,
The Lady of Shalott?
Only reapers, reaping early,
In among the bearded barley
Hear a song that echoes cheerly
From the river winding clearly;
Down to tower'd Camelot;
And by the moon the reaper weary,
Piling sheaves in uplands airy,
Listening, whispers, " 'Tis the fairy
Lady of Shalott."
There she weaves by night and day
A magic web with colours gay.
She has heard a whisper say,
A curse is on her if she stay
To look down to Camelot.
She knows not what the curse may be,
And so she weaveth steadily,
And little other care hath she,
The Lady of Shalott.
And here is an interesting side-by-side post, which shows the choices Sir Alfred made, in revising the work in 1832-1833, then in 1842: http://www.pathguy.com/shalott.htm
He tells the story of a mysterious woman on an island, who’s forbidden by an unknown curse to look at the real world. Instead, she sees the world reflected in her mirror, and weaves all day long, creating various scenes of the bright bits of life she sees reflected in her mirror.
The poem is literally about a weaver, but it’s also representative of the dilemma that artists, writers or musicians face -- the question is whether or not you make the sacrifice of being slightly removed from the world, while creating beautiful works, or abandon your arduous work and simply go out and live in the world.
It’s a poignant story, and it would also be a very familiar theme to anyone creating a work of art. You have to be slightly removed, because creation requires reflection, thought, inventiveness, and stillness -- you can’t complete work on a wonderful book by going out to a party every night. It just won’t happen.
Or, you can’t create a mesmerizing, timeless portrait if you’re out having lunch or at a sports show or watching TV, no -- that time is needed to select the right pigments, or to refine the shadowing on the jawline of your subject, or just to select just the right subject, in the first place.
You can’t really do both, so you do have to choose. Yes, of course, you can be out and about in between, when you’re not actively working on creating something new and interesting, but while you’re hard at work on something, it’s a very small world you consign yourself to -- you and the page, you and the canvas, you and the strings of your violin.
So, that’s the dilemma. A creative person is of the world…but not quite. They’re slightly removed.
It’s like conjuration, alchemy, but you’re using your own spirit to weave the magic, or to spin gold. That’s what the process of creation demands of you, and you have to be willing to make that sacrifice, and temporarily remove yourself from the flow of life, in order to put something beautiful back into that same life, for others to enjoy. An interesting problem.
Anyone who’s lost themselves for weeks, or months, or years, in any complex, extremely difficult but totally fascinating creative project knows exactly what I’m talking about.
So, these portraits are a recognition of that, and they’re a tribute to all creative people, past, present and future, who experience the bliss -- but also the burden -- of the power and passion to create.
Now, in the poem, the Lady of Shalott weaves wonderful tapestries of life because she’s under a curse and imprisoned with her loom. Writing or painting or making music is not as dire as that, you know, you do get tea breaks…but at the same time, yes, a certain degree of isolation is necessary to create art.
Of course, Lord Tennyson experienced the same thing when he created the ballad, and so did Waterhouse and Hunt, when they stole time from their lives to create their own imaginative portraits of the Lady of Shalott.
They’re all long dead, but we can still enjoy the beauty they created; the hand that created the work is dust, but the work it lovingly created lives on for hundreds of years. Interesting, no?
***Are you working on any books right now? And if not, do you plan on writing another story in the future?
At the moment, very busy just letting folks know about Random Magic, which leaves no time to write, which is a pity.
But, yes, have floods of intriguing ideas, all the time, can’t shut them off. So, it’s likely there’ll be something unusual and involving coming up in the future.
Just a matter of having enough time and money to be able to write, which is never easy. You have to fight for it. But if you love something, you do.
Come to think of it, was badly short on time and money while writing Random Magic, and it’s not like that stopped me, either – and very glad, because folks love the story so much, it makes all the struggle and hard work worth it. “Ça vaut la peine,” as Lady Witherspoon (Henry’s chic, whimsical, self-possessed and slightly unnerving mother) might say.
Thank you to everyone for all the wonderful things you’ve been saying about how much you enjoyed the story, so pleased you had fun escaping for a few hours into the odd, colorful, surreal and slightly madcap world of Random Magic. Actually, “slightly” madcap might be reckless understatement – yes, the world of Random Magic is a very strange world. But fun, though. Fun and a few other things…
For the next act, well, who knows? Might be a fun, frothy story, might be a profound, dark work, could be a comedy or a mystery or a bit of trippy philosophy, but either way will be unusual and cool, hopefully fun, and definitely interesting.
I try to write stories that I’d personally enjoy reading, and definitely do tend to appreciate things which are pleasantly unique, out of the ordinary. So, even if you have no idea just what to expect, would be reasonable to say you can definitely expect that, at least...
There might not even be something as sensible as a press release for fair warning about a new book, maybe just a virtual balloon onscreen at the official site (http://www.sashasoren.com), going: “Ta-da!”
Well, or not. Anyway, though, in the meantime: Thanks for stopping by to read a bit about the writing of Random Magic, and, well, writing in general -- and happy reading!
Stay tuned for my review of Random Magic and more! C: Hope you enjoyed the interview!
Due to the wonderful Book Blogger Appreciation Week, I got the chance to interview a blogger that was new to me! It was incredibly awesome getting to know Celia! Thank you Nat, for pairing us up! You couldn't have picked a better partner for me! :) Enjoy the interview!
What is the best book you've read in the letter or diary format?
I'm having a tough time thinking of a book that's written completely in diary or letter forma
t. TheScrewtape Letters is amazing, though. Funny and intuitive, all written in gorgeous prose by C.S. Lewis (of Narnia fame).
I love your name! (why, thank you!) What is an interesting/unique character's name you've seen in a book?
Angharad - or Harry, for short, the heroine in Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword. Alwa
ys been secretly tempted to name a future child that, but I don't want to deal with the repercussions... :)
I noticed that one thing you enjoy doing - aside from blogging and reading - is baking. What's your favorite thing to bake?
I really like baking just about anything. A lot of the fun is trying a new recipe and seeing if it's as good as they say. But I really love making bread, which I did from scratch for the first time only last year. Such a sense of accomplishment when the dough rises, and then again when it comes out of the oven fluffy and warm. I really don't think you can beat butter or jam spread on freshly baked bread.
What is something that people would be surprised to find out about you?
I've been down gold mines on two continents - in California (North America), and in Ouro Preto, Brazil (South America).
What is your favorite debut author's book of 2009?
I've just been looking through the debut authors of '09 - so many great books! I have MANY of them in my to-read pile, and the rest are on reserve at the library. But the best one I've actually read is Cindy Pon's Silver Phoenix. I loved the imagery, the mythical Asian setting, and the adventure and especially the wonderful creatures and characters that populated the novel.
Name a couple of books on your wish list right now.
Oh, there are so many! But a couple I really want in my possession, like, YESTERDAY, are: Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines, Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh and Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis, et. al.
If you could design your room any way you wanted (no expenses) what would it look like? (Color, layout, theme, etc.?)
I like color, and right now my room is painted pink, green and white. But if I was going to do it over now I might go for a warm cream and a neutral gray on the walls, and bright pops of color in the accents and accessories. I'd have enough closet space for 3 people, and a big architect's desk in front of a multi-paned window. Lots of lamps or hanging lights, and some greenery, too. Oh, and bookcases, of course. Maybe a whole wall...with dark walnut shelves, like an old-fashioned library. And if there are going to be books, I demand a comfortable chair. And armchair, maybe, where I could throw my legs over one side and feel very cosy.
Which section of a bookstore do you go to first? What are your favorite genres to read?
Honey Bee, by Zee Avi. I love Zee! She's so retro-awesome. In fact, if you want, I'll offer to giveaway an iTunes or Amazon mp3 download of her album to someone who comments on this interview post!
What movie based on a book do you like best?
A lot of my favorite books have been made into movies. I thought that the Lord of the Rings films were exceptional - those are probably the best. Or maybe it's just that they're the only ones I can remember right now?
Recommend one novel, one author, and one blog I have to check out!
Novel: If you haven't read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, check it out. It is phenomenal, heart-wrenching, make-you-think kind of stuff. Author: Neil Gaiman. The man is a freaking genius. He's written so many different things, in all different genres. He's smart, he's funny, and it really comes across in his writing. I don't think they make them like that any more. Blog: The Clothes Horse (http://theclothes.blogspot.com). Fun and affordable street fashion modeled by a pixie-like college grad in amazing settings. Great tips and quotes and contests, too. I check her photos every day for my fill of beauty and style.
Thanks for having me - these were awesome questions! As I answered them I learned a little bit about myself, which is always really cool. Happy BBAW!
GIVEAWAY:
Celia is offering one (1) iTunes download of Zee Avi's debut album, Zee Avi, to a random person who comments on this interview post by 12AM CST on September 22. Please leave an email address in your comment, which will be used to contact you and to award the music if you should win. You can check out a music video of Zee singing her tune Bitter Heart here - http://www.zeeavi.com/. Please note that neither Bianca nor Celia are responsible for the musical content or prize retrieval of Zee Avi's album. Good luck!
For extra entry: Follow Celia's blog. *click here*
