Yes, I suck for the irregular posts. My net's been killing meX_x
Anyways, I'm BACK!:D And today I have Jennifer Brown, author of the stormraiser Hate List in my hot seat. Fasten your seatbelts and delve into her world:)

Let’s start with the basics. Tell us something about your latest book.
Five months ago, Valerie Leftman’s boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saves the life of a classmate, but is implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things they hated. The list her boyfriend used to pick his targets.Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

How did you come up with the plot? It’s a fabulous one, by the way.

Thank you! You know, it was one of those ideas that just "came to me," which I know sounds a little weird, but it's true. I'd been thinking about school shootings and it was right around the time the Nickelback song, "If Everyone Cared," was popular and on the radio a lot. When I went to bed, for some reason the song got stuck in my head, and when I woke up, I had the idea for Hate List in my head. I wish I had a more writery answer for you, but this is how most story ideas come to me... in my sleep!

What’re your favourite book/s?

I have so many favorites, it would be impossible to list them all. I'm a big fan of the classics, and probably my all-time favorite book ever is The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. I love Marian Keyes and Janet Evanovich and, yes, I read all of the Harry Potter books. I love the intensity of YA books, and probably my favorite YA writer is Gail Giles, whose book What Happened to Cass McBride? was awesome and whose book Shattering Glass just blew me away.

Tell us something about yourself. Anything from your favourite colour to the wackiest quirks works.

I'm a total foodie. I watch all the cooking shows and get all fangirly over Art Smith and Bobby Flay. I totally could get into being a chef.

What would your autobiography be titled if you wrote one?

First, it should be said I'm awful at writing titles. But I guess something along the lines of:
Wishing Upon Stars and Other Dreamy Dreams: The Life of a Hopeless Believer
(Ack! That's awful! See, what'd I tell you...?)

What do you do when you’re not writing? As in, hobbies?

I'm a stay-at-home mom of three kids, so there isn't a lot of time for hobbies. Mostly I hang with my kids, read, and occasionally plink around on the piano (I taught myself how to play, so I'm no genius at it or anything).

Rapid Fire round! Which fictional character do you find yourself most similar to?

Valerie Leftman, my main character.

First question you'd ask a magic 8-ball right now.

Omigosh, it's been so long since I asked an 8-ball anything! "Does Scott have a crush on me?" LOL!

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done?

I'm one of those people who's almost always up for anything... I've got "scariest" and "most adventurous" and even "goofiest" and "most cliche," but "weirdest"... I'm sort of at a loss.

You’re locked in an elevator. Who would you want in there with you to keep you company and why?

John Lennon, because he was such an inspiration, and Kristin Chenoweth so she could sing me the Wicked soundtrack (What? We're locked in! We have time!). Oh, and probably an elevator repairman.

Mr.Darcy just broke into Valerie's room and confessed his undying love for her. What would she do?

Bury herself in her blankets and hide until he left. And then later she'd get out her favorite photo of Nick at Blue Lake and stare at it for a really long time.

Three words to describe yourself and three more to describe your book.

Me: Determined, shy, happy

Hate List: Powerful, hopeful, important

I had a blast reading through Jennifer's answers! Didn't you? Tell me your opinions as well as other questions in the comment box.

Labels: Author Interview, Hate List, Jennifer Brown, Tête-à-Tête