Still celebrating Summer Teen Reading Party, I'm pleased to welcome YA author Natalie Wright. She's here today to tell us a little about herself, as well as her latest release, "Emily's House".
WELCOME NATALIE!
Give us a little
information about your genre. What types of books do you write?
I write young adult fantasy and science fiction books that
are action packed adventures. I’m interested in mythology, physics, metaphysics
and spirituality, so some or all of those things find their way into my
stories.
Since I write Young
Adult fiction, I focus a lot of my blog posts on what reading and writing can
mean to not only a young person, but to people of all ages. I believe it’s absolutely true that
books can change someone’s life for the better! Can you tell us what books (both reading AND writing them)
have meant in your life?
I have always enjoyed books on two different levels. First,
they provide knowledge. I grew up in a small Midwestern town. I was sheltered
but I had a thirst for knowledge. Books were a gateway for me to a larger
world. I still devour non-fiction books of all sorts because I want to know
everything! As a writer, my non-fiction reading is not only research about
facts I may use, but it also inspires me.
But I also enjoy fiction. For me, fiction is about the heart
while non-fiction is about the head. I love it when a book makes me laugh out
loud or shed tears or sometimes get so angry I want to throw the book. When an
author gets inside me and pulls out emotion with their words – well, that’s
just magic isn’t it?
Books teach me. Books inspire me. Books move me emotionally.
And that’s what I’m aiming for with my writing.
I had a young reader recently review my novel on Goodreads
and she said it made her think. I was like, “Yeah! I made someone think.” To
reach into someone’s heart and tug a string or to reach into their head and
make a synapse fire with new thought – there is nothing better than that.
Do you have a
favorite quote, or maybe a wise piece of advice for writers who are just
starting out and wondering if this journey is one they should take?
My favorite quote ever comes from the author Oscar Wilde:
“Be yourself. Everybody else is already taken.”
And I think that’s good advice for writers. Don’t try to be
J.K. Rowling. She’s done a great job at it and no one can top her at being her.
Ditto for Suzanne Collins and Cassandra Clare and Stephanie Meyer. Write to
tell your truth ‘cause it’s the only truth you can ever know. And the best
writing moves us because it reveals a truth.
Another piece of advice for aspiring writers: Don’t write
for money or for praise or adulation by others (or any other external thing you
can think of). Writing is hard – really HARD! It’s something you have to do
because you love it – because you don’t feel whole without it, even when it’s
hard and sucks.
Real writers aren’t writing one book or one story. Real
writers write novels – plural. Stories – plural. They go from one to the next
to another. Constantly. Writers are compelled to tell stories, whether any one
buys them or not, or likes them or not, or sees them or not. Writers write.
So if you want to be a writer, just write. And then when you
write, you are no longer “aspiring.” When you write, you are a writer.
And for my “younger
readers”… knowing all that you know now, if you could go back in time and tell
your teenage-self something, what would it be?
LOL, that could be a whole book! But probably the number one
thing: None of the stuff that you’re going through matters all that much in the
grand scheme of things. You will forget most of it within six months of
graduating high school. Your only job – ever in your whole life – is to just be
you. You are unique in all the world and in all of time. And the more you that
you are, the more irresistible you are to the world. Be easy about it. Go with
the flow. Be you and you can’t go wrong. True story. You really can’t go wrong
with being the real you.
By the way, I’m still learning this lesson!
And now for some “fun
stuff”! (Feel free to elaborate on your answers!)
Chocolate or Vanilla:
But of course, Chocolate!
Movies or TV: Movies
(except The Voice, which I’m currently addicted to, and Ancient Aliens on H2).
Dogs or Cats: Both
– is that cheating?
Flip Flops or Boots: Flip
flops. It’s the closest thing to barefoot which is my preferred footwear.
Early Mornings or
Late Nights: Late nights. I do my most creative writing as the witching
hour approaches.
Brains or Brawn: Brains.
But I must confess – I love watching Conan the Barbarian movies! Young, buff
Arnold spends the majority of the movie half naked. Okay, maybe brawn . . .
Coffee or Tea: Tea
– black, strong, straight up.
Summer or Winter: Neither.
I prefer Fall and Spring. I live in the desert so don’t even speak to me about
summer! And Winter is too dark and all I want to do is hibernate.
Finally, tell us
about your latest release! Feel free to include the “book blurb” and any other
information you want to share!
My latest – and only release (so far) is Emily’s House.
I’m hard at work on the second book in Emily’s series, Emily’s Trial,
which (I hope) will be available late Fall, 2012. I’m also polishing the first
book in a new teen science fiction series, H.A.L.F. (acronym for Human
Alien Life Form). I don’t have a publication date for that one yet – I’ll keep
people posted on my blog.
Blurb for Emily’s House:
From
Kirkus Reviews: With
her two best friends by her side and her mother’s memory in her heart, a
teenager undertakes a journey to save the world from an ancient evil.
Emily Adams has
always known she’s special. Throughout her whole life she’s had visions of
things that haven’t happened yet and she could always read her mother’s mind.
At least, she could until her mother died. Emily thinks her abilities are just
about gone, but the arrival of a strange creature in her backyard one night
proves otherwise. Emily discovers she is the last of the Order of Brighid, an
ancient society of women sworn to protect the portal to the Netherworld. Now,
with the portal under attack, it’s up to Emily and her two loyal, wisecracking
friends to stop a villainous man before his actions destroy the world.
You can find Natalie online at a variety of places:
You can purchase "Emily's House" at any of the following retailers:
Thanks for visiting Natalie! Best of luck with "Emily's House" and all your future releases!
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