The Monday Muse: Mary Hogan

This week's muse: Mary Hogan

Starring in an: interview

Haha. I know it's not Monday, and I know I'm totally behind schedule on my posting (School. You know how it goes), but why save a perfectly good interview for later when you can have it now? (:

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Bookworm: Where is your favorite place to travel?

Mary: I LOVE road trips across the US. If I wasn't a writer, I'd probably be a trucker. Though I'm sure I'd annoy everyone with my horn. How could you resist honking that amazing horn? Our country is phenomenally beautiful when seen from the road. And, of course, roadside diners are the best.

Bookworm: Have you ever had any funny/particularly memorable travel experiences?

Mary: Last year, I went on a two week road trip/book tour across New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. To keep myself company, I bought several classic disco CDs (I know, I'm a freak...a super freak, I'm super freaky). There's something about a great disco song, like Boogie Wonderland or Disco Inferno, that really revs me up. So I was driving and car-dancing (lots of head action) and singing at the top of my lungs. By the time I arrived at my first school visit, i had complete laryngitis! (I think it's called party-all-nightis when it happens in a club). I had to squeak my way through my first book event, then lip-sync my disco songs for the entire rest of my trip.

Bookworm: Out of all the characters from your books, which one can you relate to the most?

Mary: Honestly, I see a little of myself in all my characters. Or, at least, the self I'd like to be. My characters all tend to be slightly outside of the mainstream, trying to figure things out. That's definitely me. Which is probably why I'm a writer. I've always been on the sidelines watching everyone, trying to figure out how the game is played. The trait I love most in all my characters is their dogged determination. They NEVER give up. Which, to me, is the secret to life. That, and a great disco song.

Bookworm: What book are you currently working on?

Mary: I just finished the last book in my teenage Susanna series. It's called Susanna  London. It's set in London, and will be published by the English publisher, Simon & Schuster UK. I love, love, love the way the whole series turned out....definitely an international affair. I feel very global.

   While I was on my laryngitis road trip last year, I had an idea for an adult novel. I thought I'd give it a try, and that's what I'm writing now. I can't tell you very much about it, but I promise there won't be any disco in it. Well, maybe a little...

Bookworm: What is your favorite YA book?

Mary: When I first started writing YA, I read all the greats: Holes, Harry Potter, Princess Diaries, Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging...I couldn't believe how many talented writers there were out there! I remembered thinking, "My goal is to write good books that just happen to be for teens, not TEEN books." Any YA novel that does that successfully has my undying admiration.

Bookworm: What is your advice for young adults who want to become authors?

Mary: Tell your personal truth. Be brave. Let it all hang out. To me, that's the best way to tell a completely unique, utterly riveting story. 

But, if you write about real people, change their hair color. For some reason, no one recognizes themselves if you change their hair color. Except my parents, of course, but you can't hair everything.

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Thank you so much, Mary, for the awesome interview!

Check out a review of Susanna Sees Stars here!

Check out a review of one of Mary's standalone titles, Pretty Face, here!

Have a very happy, safe, and fun Halloween!