Archives for May 2019

The Proust Questionnaire, popularized by the French essayist and novelist Marcel Proust, is said to reveal a person’s true nature through a series of probing, soul-searching questions. In the hot seat today: Amy Rebecca Tan, author of the MG debut, A KIND OF PARADISE (HarperCollins). [Read more…] about Ask the Author: Amy Rebecca Tan

The Proust Questionnaire, popularized by the French essayist and novelist Marcel Proust, is said to reveal a person’s true nature through a series of probing, soul-searching questions. In the hot seat today: Justin A. Reynolds, author of the YA debut, OPPOSITE OF ALWAYS (Katherine Tegen Books).

What is your idea of perfect happiness? I’d be surrounded by family and close friends, somewhere along the sea, sun shining down, a soft breeze, a good book within arm’s reach.

What is your greatest fear? Losing the people that I love, and that love me.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? I tend to stretch myself thin; I have a hard time saying no, sometimes at great personal cost.

What is the trait you most deplore in others? Close-mindedness. It commonly leads to hate, or at the very least, prejudice.

Which living person do you most admire? My mom. She’s an amazing human.

What is your greatest extravagance? I’m fairly thrifty, but I did purchase a new laptop last year.

What is your current state of mind? Tired. I have a lot happening at once (as we all do), but I’m also happy to be busy with things that I care deeply about.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Prudence. Sometimes, just leap.

 On what occasion do you lie? When people ask me if I’m too tired to do the thing that I said I’d do, I say, N0, of course not.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse? I overuse “as one does,” as one does.

Besides writing, which talent would you most like to have? I love to cook, and eat, so I’d be happy to improve upon the former.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? Caring for my family.

 If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? A person. Definitely, a person. But a thing could be cool, too. Yeah, a thing.

What is your most treasured possession? I treasure life most of all. And I’d put Freedom right there too.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Finally discovering the solution to solve all of the problems in my work in progress…but realizing it essentially requires writing a new book.

What do you most value in your friends? Compassion, thoughtfulness, curiosity, an open mind.

Who are your favorite writers? Toni Morrison, Colson Whitehead, Zora Neale Hurston, Danzy Senna, Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Patricia Highsmith, Octavia Butler, Isabel Wilkerson, MK Asante, Nicole Krauss, Paul Beatty, Sheila Heti, Ralph Ellison, to name a few.

Who is your hero of fiction? Lila Mae Watson.

Which historical figure do you most identify with? Jackie Robinson.

What is your motto? “Hard work without talent is a shame, but talent without hard work is a tragedy.”

JUSTIN A. REYNOLDS was most recently a registered nurse, specializing in hematology and oncology, before trading his stethoscope for a pencil, but likes to think both instruments reveal the heart. He lives in northeast Ohio, home to snow, Lake Erie, and the Cavaliers. Find Jason on his website, Facebook, and Twitter.

The Proust Questionnaire, popularized by the French essayist and novelist Marcel Proust, is said to reveal a person’s true nature through a series of probing, soul-searching questions. In the hot seat today: Melanie Sumrow, author of the THE PROPHET CALLS (Yellow Jacket, 2018) and the upcoming INSIDE BATTLE (November 5, 2019). [Read more…] about Ask the Author: Melanie Sumrow

The Proust Questionnaire, popularized by the French essayist and novelist Marcel Proust, is said to reveal a person’s true nature through a series of probing, soul-searching questions. In the hot seat today: Naomi Milliner, author of the contemporary MG novel, SUPER JAKE & THE KING OF CHAOS (Running Press Kids, May 7, 2019).

What is your idea of perfect happiness? Definitely the simple things: sharing a crackling fire, a home-cooked meal, a favorite TV show, a card game, or just hanging out in the living room – any time spent living in the  moment with family or friends. Also, a warm beverage, something sweet (preferably chocolate, of course), and getting lost in a great book.

What is your greatest fear? Losing loved ones.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Envy.

What is the trait you most deplore in others? Dishonesty.

Which living person do you most admire? Alas, the people I most admire–my parents; Elizabeth Glaser; Elie Wiesel, to name a few–are no longer with us, and cannot be replaced. But they still inspire me.

What is your greatest extravagance? Books, of course! 🙂 Like an old T-shirt of mine says, “Too many books, too little time.” My home is happily overrun with novels – now more than ever, because of all the outstanding 2019 debuts I have read, and must have on my bookshelves so I can read them again.

 What is your current state of mind? Very much depends when you ask. Over the course of one day, it typically runs the gamut from terrified to exhilarated, with overwhelmed and gratified always in-between. Most of all, though, color me grateful.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Physical beauty.

On what occasion do you lie? When I am not standing or sitting (sorry; couldn’t resist). When it is for the greater good – or to avoid hurting someone’s feelings.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Not sure there’s one particular word or phrase, but I definitely have a tendency to speak in hyperbole – at least 90 million times a minute. 🙂

Besides writing, which talent would you most like to have? I would love to be a world-class baker of mouth-watering desserts. I would also love to eat said desserts without gaining an ounce.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? Raising my exceptional sons.

 If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? Is it weird to say my own grandchild? Because I would so love to be around my kids when they are dads! Then again, hopefully I’ll be around to SEE my grandkids, and that would work, too. So I guess answer #2 would be, an Oscar-winning screenwriter, since that’s probably going to elude me this time around.

What is your most treasured possession? Videos of Jake.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Losing a child.

What do you most value in your friends? Loyalty. Also a sense of humor and compassion.

Who are your favorite writers? Old school: Shakespeare, Dickens, and Austen.

Who is your hero of fiction? Jo March. I have loved and identified with her since I can remember. I honestly don’t know if I loved her because she was a writer, or if I became a writer because I loved her.

Which historical figure do you most identify with? Anne Frank.

What is your motto? “Follow your dreams.” In fact, I made a cross-stitch that reads: “Dreams have no expiration date.” I like to think I am proof of that. Also: Carpe diem.

NAOMI MILLINER has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and a Master’s in Screenwriting from USC Film School. As a long-time member of SCBWI, she created the Authors Book Club (ABC) for published authors and illustrators to share their journey with other members. She has also served on the Women’s National Book Association’s Great Group Reads Committee since 2009. She lives in Maryland with her husband and sons. Learn more about Naomi via her blog and Goodreads, and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.