The bold font are the questions I asked, the regular font are her answers, and the bold italic font are my comments about her answers.
Would you please tell us a little about Summer of Brave?
Summer of Brave is the story of a 12-year-old people pleaser whose best friend dares her to give up white lies and silences. Lilla struggles to do this as she navigates her parents' divorce, academic pressure, her first crush, and her first experience with cat-calling. While the events are imaginary, it's a super personal story. Even as an adult, I still struggle to not let other people's feelings and desires swamp mine.
You’ve published both YA and MG books! Did you always want to write both?
Truthfully, I haven't always wanted to write either. I was a reader for a long time before I was a writer and came to creating my own stories pretty late in life. I read more YA so those stories come a little more easily to me, but my agent suggested that it might be a good idea for me to diversify a little. And I have to say, I didn't think I'd be able to do it until I discovered the recent wave of Upper MG. I'm super interested in writing about relationships--both friendships and romances---and I don't think I could write a book that didn't have these at the heart. But I really love the way current MG books are taking this on.
Random Question! What’s your favorite color?
Any shade of blue.
Blue is my favorite color! :)
If you're able to talk about it, what are you currently working on?
Well, I'm working with my editor on my second YA rom-com, Lia and Beckett's Abracadabra, which is a Romeo-and-Juliet style love story between the kids of rival families who live in a magic-themed resort town. Lia and Beckett fall for each other while competing in a magic contest for the rights to the town theater.
I'm also writing my second MG, which is inspired by E.L. Koningsburg's The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, about a seventh grade girl who runs away to a college campus to confront the coder who made the app that her parents use to track her every movement.
These both sound really good! :)
What are some of your favorite MG books you've read? And what are some that you're looking forward to reading?
My favorite MG book of modern times (A Wrinkle in Time will always be my all time favorite) is Well, That Was Awkward by Rachel Vail. It's hilarious and heart-breaking and true, and Gracie and her friend Emmet are so unbearably cute together. It's the best banter in an MG book I've ever read. And while that's my favorite, I'd recommend every single one of Rachel Vail's books. I also loved Star Crossed by Barbara Dee, which is a really cute Romeo and Juliet and retelling about two eighth-grade girls. This is a little more actiony, but I thought Sheela Chari 's The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel was funny and fast-based and just super fun. In terms of what I'm looking forward to--Shannon Doleski's second book Gabe in the After is due out in a year, and it's some kind of post-apocalyptic Anne of Green Gables retelling, which sounds incredibly intriguing.
Great picks! :)
Thank you to Amy Noelle Parks for participating in this event! :)
Author Bio: Amy Noelle Parks is an associate professor at Michigan State University. When she’s not using One Direction lyrics as a writing prompt, she’s helping future teachers recover from the trauma of years of school mathematics. She lives in Michigan with her husband and two daughters.
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Congrats to Amy on her new book. It's so interesting that her agent suggested she try to write MG as well as YA.
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