Interview with Sarah Beth Durst!

Hello, Readers! I'm baaaack! Did you miss me? Just kidding. But here's one thing you don't want to miss: an exclusive interview with Sarah Beth Durst, the author of Into the Wild and Out of the Wild!

Bookworm: How does it feel to be a PUBLISHED author? (:

SBD: So very, very awesome. And a little bit surreal. I have wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. It's the only thing I've ever wanted to be. So this is really a dream come true for me. I love all the little moments: choosing the perfect purple pen to sign books, getting emails from readers, seeing the cover for the first time...

Bookworm: Who are your favorite YA (Young Adult) authors today?

SBD: Good thing you said "authors" plural. It's so hard to choose just one! I love everything by Tamora Pierce, Patricia C. Wrede, Holly Black, Nina Kirki Hoffman...I also adore the Harry Potter books, Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series, amd Diane Duane's Young Wizards series. And then there's newer books like Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George, The Black Tattoo by Sam Enthoven, City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare, and Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale...

Bookworm: What inspired you to write Into the Wild and Out of the Wild?

SBD: I have always loved fairy tales. And I used to always wish something magical would happen in my hometown. So the core idea behind Into the Wild and Out of the Wild was: what if fairy-tale characters lived in my hometown? And what if the fairy-tale creatures wanted it back...?

Bookworm: How do you feel about the release of Out of the Wild?

SBD: Excited. Nervous. I really loved writing this book. Not that I didn't enjoy writing Into the Wild -- I did. (Or at least I enjoyed most of it. No one loves writing all the time. I am convinced that every writer goes through a stage where they hate their work-in-progress. But you work through it.) Anyway, writing Out of the Wild was like visiting old friends. And then turning their lives upside down. Very fun. So I'm both excited to share my new book with everyone, and I'm nervous because I want everyone to love it as much as I do.

Bookworm: Why did you want to write a sequel to Into the Wild?

SBD: When I finished Into the Wild, I knew I wanted to write a sequel. I missed the characters, and I wanted to know what happens next.

Bookworm: Which character can you relate to most in your books?

SBD: Gillian (Julie's best friend). She thinks fairy tales are great and is so excited when the Wild (the essence of fairy tales) takes over her town. I'd feel the same way if the Wild took over my town. I'm sure I'd rush right in...and be promptly eaten by a wolf or something.

Bookworm: Who is your favorite character in your books, and why?

SBD: Ooh, that's a tough question. I love them all. Really, I do. I love Julie -- she's way braver and more sensible than I am. And Rapunzel (Zel). I also love Gothel, Julie's grandmother, the wicked witch who really wants to be good despite her innate evil tendencies... And of course Boots, Julie's brother, because I think all books need at least one talking cat...

Bookworm: What is your favorite fairy tale?

SBD: Beauty and the Beast. It's the one fairy tale that's about true love. In Cinderella, they marry after one date. In Sleeping Beauty, she's asleep. In Snow White, she's dead. But in Beauty and the Beast, they spend time together before they fall in love. That feels much more real to me and much more likely to result in a true happily-ever-after.

Bookworm: Are you currently working on any upcoming books?

SBD: Yes! But it's in top-secret stage right now...I can tell you that it will definitely be YA fantasy, and I'm really excited about it!

Well, I for one can't wait to see what's next from one of my favorite authors! And many congratulations to Sarah Beth, whose new book Out of the Wild hit bookstores on June 19!