Author Interview: Lisa Graff

Today I’m really excited to be posting my first author interview! With the amazingly talented… 

(DRUMROLL PLEASE)….......

Lisa Graff!

Lisa is the author of four middle grade novels: The Thing About Georgie, The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower, Sophie Simon Solves Them All, and of course Umbrella Summer (Click here to read my review). Lisa was kind enough to answer all eight of my questions and let me say she gave some great answers. So THANK YOU Lisa =)  Enough of my talking, here is the interview. Enjoy!

Born Bookish: If you could be one of your characters, who would you be?

I would probably choose to be Sophie in SOPHIE SIMON SOLVES THEM ALL, because she is so smart (and so good at solving difficult problems!), and even though she still has a lot to learn about life, she is very comfortable with who she is, which I think can be a hard quality to come by.

Born Bookish: Do you find it hard to throw obstacles in your characters way or make life difficult for them?

I actually love making my characters' lives a little difficult! Books aren't really very fun to read if there's no conflict, and I think what makes a character interesting is the way in which he or she deals with tough situations. So I like to throw whatever I can think of at my characters and see how they respond.

Born Bookish: If you could have any superpower what would it be? Why?

I would definitely want to have a super sense of direction. I am constantly getting lost!

Born Bookish: A lot of authors use music to help them get into the mindset of their characters. Is this something that helps you? If so what was the main song that inspired each of your books?

I don't write with music very often because I tend to get distracted. I actually prefer to write at a coffee shop or library with just a little bit of chatter behind me. Somehow I concentrate best with a tiny bit of (but not too much!) background noise.

Born Bookish: Which character was it easiest for you to write? Why?

When I began writing UMBRELLA SUMMER, I heard Annie's voice right away, so in that aspect her character was one of the easiest for me to write. But in other ways she was a really difficult nut to crack, because I wasn't sure how I wanted her to react to all the things that were going on in her life, so I had a lot to learn about her, too. It took me several drafts before I felt like I'd gotten that part of it right. 

Born Bookish: In your book Umbrella Summer, Annie is afraid of so many different things. What are some of your biggest fears?

I have long had a ridiculous fear that I will wake up one morning and find a python in my toilet (which actually happened to my parents!). And I worry about more mundane things, of course, like catching a cold right before I go on vacation or slipping on ice and breaking my leg. All in all, though, I'm much less of a worrier than Annie is (except for that python thing--that one's serious!). 

Born Bookish: Do you have any new books in the works that you can tell us a little bit about? 

My next book is called DOUBLE DOG DARE, and it comes out in April 2012. It's about two fourth-graders who are mortal enemies, and who start a dare war to decide who will be the next news anchor of the school's Media Club. It has all sorts of fun stuff in it like tighty-whities up a flag pole and trained guinea pigs.

Born Bookish: Here at Born Bookish I have a weekly segment called, Breathtaking Book Covers, where I post the cover image of a book that I think is just stunning. Is there a book cover that has ever taken your breath away? If so, what book?

I love this segment, because I'm always judging books by their covers! :) Three books I haven't read yet, but can't wait to, simply because of their covers are BLINDSIDED, OUT OF MY MIND, AND SMALL TOWN SINNERS. I think they all look fantastic! 

 Are these great covers or what?!