Author Interview: Shari Maurer

Another Monday, another author interview. :) This week our guest is Shari Maurer, author of Change of Heart.

1. Tell us a little about yourself.

I live in the suburbs of NYC with my husband and three kids. There's a lot of laughing in our house. My favorite TV shows are The Gilmore Girls and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Travel is a big part of my life--I've been to France, The Netherlands, Norway, Italy, Israel, England, Indonesia, Mexico, several Caribbean islands, many of our 50 states and a few provinces in Canada. I drink far more coffee than I should and my ultimate luxury is staying in bed in the morning and reading.

2. What got you started writing? What brought you to YA?

I've been writing in one form or another my whole life. Senior year of college, on a whim, I had applied to NYU film school to study dramatic writing. Even then, when given the choice I chose to write for children. I think I wound up writing YA in part because I wanted to write something my daughter would want to read and partially because it's what I like reading. What a great excuse I have to read all the wonderful YA books that are out there.

3. Tell us about your most recent/ upcoming release?

Change of Heart is about Emmi, a sixteen year old soccer player who struggles to maintain a normal life, while waiting for a heart transplant, and learns about life, loss and the meaning of true friendship in the process.

4. Do you plot out in advance, or just start writing and see where things go from there?

For Change of Heart, I kind of knew where I wanted to go and started writing. So I don't have an official outline, but definitely a sense of where I'm heading.

5. Many authors have told me their characters talk to them, and sometimes even have different ideas of where the story should go than the author. Do you hear your characters?

My characters often talk to each other while I'm driving or in the shower. I'm not sure they address me directly, but they certainly chat amongst themselves plenty.

6. Who is your favorite character (of your own)?

Emmi. It's her story and her journey.

7. What hobbies do you have when you're not writing?

Reading, playing tennis, rollerblading, watching Duke basketball and driving my kids around.

8. If you had not become a writer what would you have done instead?

Before my kids were born, I worked for the Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop) on international productions of Sesame Street and other children's programming. When I was home with my kids, I became the PTA guru (I even have a PTA Lifetime Membership) , Girl Scout Leader and charity event planner (my family has coordinated events benefiting the American Heart Association and Hoops 4 Hope). Somewhere in the middle of television production and all the volunteer work lies the perfect job for me--perhaps Event Planner of some sort?

9. Where can readers find you online?

My website: www.sharimaurer.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/sharimaurer Facebook: www.facebook.com/shari.b.maurer

10. Your turn. What question do you have for readers of Want My YA?

I'm curious about what attracts you to a book. Do you browse the bookstore or head in knowing what you want to read?

Thanks so much Shari! Your book sounds great, looks like another one to add to my ever expanding wishlist. :) I had to laugh when I read that your characters talk in the car and the shower, that's exactly when mine start talking too. My problem is I can't remember their conversations very well after...lol.

Personally I do a fair amount of browsing, but I also have my list that I buy from. I try to stick to the list so I don't accidentally double buy. I own so many books that sometimes it's difficult to remember if I've already bought something.