Author Interview: Sara Bennett Wealer+GIVEAWAY!!

I am *VERY* excited to have had the opportunity to interview author Sara Bennett Wealer not only to learn about her writing style and about her book RIVAL, but to learn more about her as a person. As many of you know, I really, REALLY enjoyed her book RIVAL, see my review of it HERE, so interviewing her gave me a whole new insight.

Since I enjoyed Rival so much and enjoy sharing my "love/excitement" for a book, I am also including a giveaway of my ARC version of RIVAL as part of this author interview. *Details for the giveaway are listed below the interview.* Enjoy!!

What made you want to become an author? 

I wrote a lot of fiction as a kid but never saw myself as an author; I went into journalism because I loved to write and figured it would be a good way to make a living doing something I enjoyed. I loved being a journalist when I got to cover arts and entertainment, or write features, but I really didn't enjoy being a daily beat reporter. I actually remember the moment I decided to write a book: I was standing in my bathroom, and I had this moment of clarity where I knew that if I didn't write something that came from me, something not assigned by an editor, about traffic accidents or city council meetings or tax levys, then I would probably have a nervous breakdown. It seriously felt like I was fighting for my mental health! I went to the computer, sat down and started writing a novel about a young ballet dancer. It was a terrible book, filled with cliches, but it helped me learn. And once I realized I could finish a book, I didn't want to stop writing. Then, when I finished another book, I knew I had to try to get published. I guess you could say it's been a compulsion, but I'd say it's a healthy one. Writing books, nurturing that creative side of myself, has saved me in so many ways!

What was your inspiration for writing RIVAL? 

I think it was just a given for me that I'd write a book about singing. The arts can be so competitive, and I experienced that during the years that I sang actively, so I knew there'd be some good conflict there. I also remembered some of the difficult relationships I'd had as a teen, and I liked being able to look at things from both sides, to explore why someone might do something that seems mean on the surface, or how a friendship can disintegrate even when both people have good intentions. I think a lot of girls experience that--one day you're friends with someone, the next day it's just weird. I don't know if there are any lessons to be learned from RIVAL, but I hope it shows girls--whether they're more like Brooke or more like Kathryn--that they're not alone.

Have you always wanted to write Teen Fiction? If not, what interested you in writing for teens? 

I've just always had a teen voice in my head. And when I think about writing for adults, I come up dry - there aren't a lot of "adult" issues that really interest me. With teens, everything is new and heightened, and it's OK to act like a kid while you're learning to be a grown-up. With grown-ups, I  seem to find that many conflicts happen because they're still acting like kids, and I don't have a lot of patience with that. Of course I'll never say never - maybe in a few years I'll write a book for adults!

What has been your biggest challenge when writing books geared towards teens? 

The biggest challenge is making sure you don't sound dated. Technology is changing so fast, for example, that while the *heart* of how teens relate to each other doesn't change, the *ways* that they do are always evolving.

Are you currently working on any new books? 

Yes! I've got two started right now - I think I'll finish the more romance-centered one first. It has a cool sort of supernatural twist that I'm having fun exploring.

What is your favorite book of all time and why? 

Edith Wharton's "The House of Mirth" holds a special place in my heart. It's very sad, but so well done, and I came to it at a time when Lily Bart's character just spoke to me in so many ways. I don't cry at many books, but I remember sobbing when I finished that one.

Ok, enough about books. Can you tell readers *one* interesting fact about yourself?

I interviewed Brad Pitt once! I worked for his hometown newspaper and he came to town for a charity showing of one of his movies. Of course, I got all dolled up, thinking maybe he'd take a fancy to me, but he was with Jennifer Aniston at the time and I just couldn't compete! ;-)  He was a very nice guy - very gracious to everybody - and not very tall in person!

A *big thank you* goes out to Ms. Wealer for giving me the opportunity to interview her! If you’re interested in winning an ARC copy of RIVAL, here are the rules:

- *This competition is ONLY open to followers of my blog.

- Leave a comment with your e-mail address below so I can contact you if you win.

- If you do any of the following below, you will gain extra entries towards winning this ARC. If you do any of them, please add the appropriate number of entries in your comment.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
+2 post about this author interview/give-away on your blog (as a blog entry) & leave a link

+1 post the contest on Twitter & leave a link

+2 post the comp on sidebar of your blog

***CONTEST WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNED VIA E-MAIL AND ON MY BLOG ON FEBRUARY 16, 2010.***